Gabriella and Matteas get cozy by the fire.
This weekend, we went camping with the Matriotti family. Aaron and I had both done a bit of camping before having kids, but until now we'd never attempted a camping trip involving children. I endured a lot of teasing because of my alleged unwillingness to take babies camping, but there were some practical setbacks to be considered. With Jack, we had to take a breast pump with us everywhere we went because he wouldn't nurse. I realize it would have been possible to sterilize a breast pump in boiling water heated on a camping stove, but it just seemed too dirty for a newborn. Once I felt Jack was old enough to do well camping I got pregnant with Matteas, and felt so nauseous I couldn't move around much. Plus I had to have, like, ten special snacks on hand at all times. Yes I was high maintenance, but growing an entire human being is kind of a high maintenance job. I should note here that Anna is six months pregnant and has done plenty of camping this summer, but she is a lot cooler than I am.
Jack was super excited about his first-ever camping trip, complete with camp fires and s'mores.
I think my favorite thing about camping was how entertained the kids were the whole time. We didn't bring any toys, just a few books and some coloring stuff for the car ride and some shovels and buckets for the beach. Not once in three days did any of the kids complain of boredom or declare that they had nothing to play with.
When you've got sticks to poke into a burning fire, who needs toys?
And don't think I didn't find a way to wash my babies anyway; Matteas loved the novelty of bathing in a dish pan(though it wasn't really that novel since
he'd done it before) and after he sat down he smiled and asked "Jackie gets in?" I told him Jackie wouldn't fit.
Matteas enjoys his first s'more.
Tristan made fun of me for not just letting my kids be filthy the whole time, but seriously, would
you let this critter get in bed with you? I would have if I had too because I love my babies more than I love being clean, but clean babies are especially nice.
Cold, clean lake water.
This is Lake Wenatchee, which was about a ten minute drive from our campsite. It was the most beautiful lake I've ever seen, the water was
so clean. It was also framed by mountains, which really added to the picturesqueness.
Our last day there, Albert and Aaron put all the kids into Albert's inflatable boat and swam them over to this tiny little island while Anna and I swam in the chilly water and then lay on a big granite rock in the sun like sunbathing lizards. Only we weren't lizards, we were attractive married women in bikinis.
It was a great trip, one or two difficulties notwithstanding. Like Matteas barfing chicken nuggets all over himself on the drive over. But that's a story for another day.
Gabriella and Matteas get cozy by the fire.
Jack was super excited about his first-ever camping trip, complete with camp fires and s'mores.
I think my favorite thing about camping was how entertained the kids were the whole time. We didn't bring any toys, just a few books and some coloring stuff for the car ride and some shovels and buckets for the beach. Not once in three days did any of the kids complain of boredom or declare that they had nothing to play with.
When you've got sticks to poke into a burning fire, who needs toys?
And don't think I didn't find a way to wash my babies anyway; Matteas loved the novelty of bathing in a dish pan(though it wasn't really that novel since he'd done it before) and after he sat down he smiled and asked "Jackie gets in?" I told him Jackie wouldn't fit.
Matteas enjoys his first s'more.
Cold, clean lake water.
Our last day there, Albert and Aaron put all the kids into Albert's inflatable boat and swam them over to this tiny little island while Anna and I swam in the chilly water and then lay on a big granite rock in the sun like sunbathing lizards. Only we weren't lizards, we were attractive married women in bikinis.
It was a great trip, one or two difficulties notwithstanding. Like Matteas barfing chicken nuggets all over himself on the drive over. But that's a story for another day.
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